Ringback tone service allows a user of a mobile phone to preselect feedback to be played to a communication device that calls the mobile phone. For example, the communication device comprises a calling party and the mobile phone comprises a called party. The feedback in one example comprises an announcement and/or tone. The feedback in one example comprises a ringback tone or announcement followed by a ringback tone. The ringback tone service replaces a traditional ringing sound that a calling party hears before the called party answers the call with the ringback tone preselected by the user of the called party. The ringback tone service allows the called party to customize the ringing sound that a calling party hears upon calling the called party.
A network server in one example stores the ringback tones. The network server plays the ringback tones at the calling party. Thus, the ringback tone service does not require the ringback tone to be stored within the calling party phone. The user of the called party may access the network server to indicate a ringback tone to play for a calling party upon an incoming call from the calling party. The user of the called party may set up the ringback tone service to play specific ringback tones for specific calling parties and/or at specific times. For example, the ringback tone service allows the user of the called party to set up a happy-birthday ringback tone for a friend to be played on the birthday of the friend. Therefore, if the friend makes a call to the user of the called party on the birthday, then the friend will hear the happy-birthday ringback tone until the user of the called party answers the call.
The communication network that connects the calling party with the called party comprises a plurality of network elements. For example, the communication network comprises mobile switching centers (“MSCs”) and home location registers (“HLRs”). The MSCs and the HLRs comprise modifications from the American National Standards Institute (“ANSI”) standards. For example, the MSCs and the HLRs required modification from the ANSI standards to enable the ringback tone service. As one shortcoming, it may be undesirable to use non-standardized ANSI network elements to provide the ringback tone service. As another shortcoming, ANSI standardized network elements may be unable to use the ringback tone service implemented by the modified network elements.
Thus, a need exists for an enhanced implementation of a ringback tone service. A further need exists for a ringback tone service that is accomplished in accordance with the ANSI standards.